THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)
Fun Stuff => CHATTER => Topic started by: ackblom12 on 07 Nov 2012, 09:01
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Puerto Rico (http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/11/07/puerto-rico-statehood.html) looks like it is about to apply to be the 51st state in the USA.
A slim majority of Puerto Ricans sought to change their ties with the United States and become the 51st U.S. state in a non-binding referendum that would require final approval from the U.S. Congress.
The two-part referendum asked whether the island wanted to change its 114-year relationship with the United States. Nearly 54 per cent, or 922,374 people, sought to change it, while 46 per cent, or 786,749 people, favoured the status quo. Ninety-six per cent of 1,643 precincts were reporting as of early Wednesday.
The second question asked voters to choose from three options, with statehood by far the favourite, garnering 61 per cent. Sovereign free association, which would have allowed for more autonomy, received 33 per cent, while independence got 5 per cent.
President Barack Obama earlier expressed support for the referendum and pledged to respect the will of the people in the event of a clear majority.
It is unclear whether U.S. Congress will debate the referendum results or if Obama will consider the results to be a clear enough majority.
Puerto Rico's resident commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, who has championed statehood, did not return calls for comment. He received 48 per cent or 874,914 votes, while his opponent, Rafael Cox Alomar, received 47 per cent or 855,732 votes with 96 per cent of precincts reporting.
Can't vote for president
The island is currently a U.S. territory whose inhabitants are U.S. citizens but are prohibited from voting in presidential elections. Its resident commissioner in the U.S. House also has limited voting powers.
The future of the island's political status, however, also is dependent on who governs the island.
According to partial election results, pro-statehood Gov. Luis Fortuno was ousted by a razor thin margin by an opponent who supports the island's current political status.
With 96 per cent of precincts reporting, challenger Alejandro Garcia Padilla with the Popular Democratic Party received 48 per cent or 870,005 votes. Fortuno, a Republican and leader of the New Progressive Party, received 47 per cent or 855,325 votes.
Fortuno has not issued comment, while Garcia celebrated what he called a victory.
"I can assure you we have rescued Puerto Rico," Garcia said. "This is a lesson to those who think that the well-being of Puerto Ricans should be subjected to ideologies."
Election results also pointed to a major upset for Jorge Santini, who has been mayor of the capital of San Juan for 12 years. His opponent, Carmen Yulin Cruz, received 71,736 votes compared with Santini's 66,945 votes with 96 per cent of precincts reporting.
The island's elections commission said it would resume counting votes late Wednesday morning.
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The island is currently a U.S. territory whose inhabitants are U.S. citizens but are prohibited from voting in presidential elections. Its resident commissioner in the U.S. House also has limited voting powers.
That's kind of a shitty deal. What did they do to deserve this?
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They've chosen to be a territory and not a US State for about 60 years now. It's pretty much entirely of their own choice.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_rico
All in all, it's a pretty good deal as far as they've been concerned from what I gather. They get military protection, trade with the US, visa free tourism from the US, full legal access to and from the US but without the world politics of being part of the US and they get to govern themselves for the most part. They still pay most federal taxes, but it's not a terrible situation for them.
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The island is currently a U.S. territory whose inhabitants are U.S. citizens but are prohibited from voting in presidential elections. Its resident commissioner in the U.S. House also has limited voting powers.
That's kind of a shitty deal. What did they do to deserve this?
If there's an assumption that PR will vote Democratic, I wonder how easily Congress will grant statehood.
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I think it's largely going to depend on if Obama considers it to be a big enough majority to push forward with statehood. I think the Dems would jump on it in a heartbeat and it is a small enough population that the GOP might jump on it in an attempt to start "making up" with Hispanic voters.
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and it is a small enough population that the GOP might jump on it in an attempt to start "making up" with Hispanic voters.
Good point. And I suppose we might know soon.
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One thing to consider in terms of politics is that Puerto Ricans might not be automatic Democratic voters. Their current governor, Luis Fortuno (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Fortuno) is a Republican, and the largest party in Puerto Rico (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Progressive_Party_of_Puerto_Rico) (and the one that put the statehood initiative to a vote) is aligned with the Republican Party. Another thing to consider is that the incoming governor who was just elected is from a party that is less friendly to the idea of Puerto Rico becoming a state (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_Democratic_Party_of_Puerto_Rico).
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In short, they voted for statehood but against a governor who would help them gain statehood.
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BTW, I looked it up, and Puerto Rico has a population of just under 4 millions, which is just a bit more than Oklahoma, so if they became a state, they'd get roughly 5 representatives in the House, and of course 2 Senators, and 7 electoral votes. This ignores the fact that the 435 Representatives would have to be redistributed to accommodate the shift, meaning 5 other states would each lose a Rep, which will probably play into the politics of how this may go forward.
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In short, they voted for statehood but against a governor who would help them gain statehood.
Yup. Combining that with the fact that the resolution was non-binding, I doubt Puerto Rico will become a state any time soon. It would require the cooperation of the new governor (unlikely), and the approval of Congress (unlikely given the current political climate). I could be wrong, though.
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Let's see... Alaska and Hawaii were added in 59, so it's been 53 years sine we added a state. I think we're due. Then we can work on Guam and Samoa...
And 51 stars isn't hard, it's 3 times 17, so you do six rows alternating 9 and 8 stars each to fill the field. Take a look at some of the older flags sometime, it's pretty interesting how they arranged the stars.
OK, maybe interesting is overstating it (http://www.dean.usma.edu/departments/math/people/Thiel/papers%5Cflag.pdf)...
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This is the commonly used 51-star flag.
(http://www.fahnenversand.de/fotw/images/u/us-51st.gif)
I like this one better as it is closer to the Betsy Ross flag.
(http://cdn102.iofferphoto.com/img/item/109/809/931/0uJn.jpg)
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Can't believe that the US is just gonna let these mexicans join our country.
LIVING IN ABAMA NATION
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Mexicans? That makes 52!
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We're also patiently waiting for Canadians to realize they're just Americans with strange ideas of what to put on french fries.
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Those strange ideas are fucking delicious.
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Those strange ideas are fucking delicious.
We're also patiently waiting for Canadians to realize they're just Americans with strange ideas of what to put on french fries.
Both of these statements are true. I WELCOME YOU TO THE UNION, MY CANADIAN BROTHERS!
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We're also patiently waiting for Canadians to realize they're just Americans with strange ideas of what to put on french fries.
did you just mock poutine
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Those strange ideas are fucking delicious.
I agree with this SO hard. (Mmmm, poutine...)
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We're also patiently waiting for Canadians to realize they're just Americans with strange ideas of what to put on french fries.
did you just mock poutine
Oh man, I actually made poutine the other night (and the first time I'd ever had it). Amazing.
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Dogg if you haven't had poutine in Canada it just isn't the same.
Also one time I had poutine with Dovey in Canada it was great. Then we hung out on the street for a while and watched a pigeon just walk brazenly across the street but not actually fly. Walked all the way down the block like a motherfucker not even flapping its wings.
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As a Canadian, I'm more ashamed of poutine than I am of the systematic destruction of the tar sands solely in the interests of being able to drive ever more fugly cars. That's how bad poutine is. If American's like poutine so much the can damn well have it.
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I will gladly take it from you, since you don't have the proper taste to appreciate it.
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I don't think that word means what you think it means.
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I'm going to have to agree with Seldom Killer. Like...I love my fair share of awful but delicious foods, but poutine is not one of them.
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I don't think your tastebuds know what that word means.
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Poutine reminds me of the kid in grade school who always put mustard and pepper on his fries so that no one else would steal them.
No matter how it tastes, it looks like you just barfed up your fries.
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I don't think we can trust Vladimir Poutine. Have you seen those pictures of him wrestling a bear? So cheesy.
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Poutine reminds me of the kid in grade school who always put mustard and pepper on his fries so that no one else would steal them.
No matter how it tastes, it looks like you just barfed up your fries.
What about curry sauce?
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I love so many foods that look like either vomit or poo. Chili, curry, some chocolate snacks, some foods with cheese sauce etc etc.
Bring on the gross looking and delicious foods!
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dtBLBW-6lUY/TQWjcQpKmBI/AAAAAAAAC3g/b2NaxkE9qi0/s1600/Triple+Threat+-+Two+Cheeseburgers+and+a+White+Zweigle+German+Frank+with+French+Fries+and+Macaroni+Salad+Topped+with+DogTown+Sauce%252C+Onions+and+Mustard.jpg)
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And then you have chitterlings, tripe and kishka.
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Stephen, ARMAGAD.
We just made plates, and now I want a plate again.
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Tongue. And kidneys. We can talk headcheese (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_cheese), too, if you like...
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Oh man garbage plates
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Tongue. And kidneys. We can talk headcheese (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_cheese), too, if you like...
I use tongue in sandwiches regularly, and have braised a piece a couple of times. Kidneys I dislike alone, but are essential in steak and kidney pie/pudding. I call headcheese brawn, and have also made that at home - although that was a slightly icky business, the result was fine.
Why did I just write that in a thread about the fifty-first state??
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I'm sure Puerto Rico has some disgusting looking and tasty food that's connected somehow!
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As far as I'm aware, Puerto Rican cooking mostly deals with lots of spice and mango (my stepfather's Puerto Rican, and I could never get used to the food).